Wait Lists

For high school seniors, the question that is asked over and over is "Where are you going to college?" It can be a exciting to share the answer when it is the school you had your heart set on for your future. It can be overwhelming when you still haven't decided and are still trying to figure out which school is the best fit for you. For some students though, this question still brings anxiety and uncertainty because the top school on their list didn't fully accept or reject them - they put them on their Waiting List. Being wait listed often feels like being in an emotional limbo.

We need to be brutally honest (even though we know you don't really want to hear this...) and say that there is not a lot that you can do to improve the chance of coming off the wait list and being accepted to the college. You need to make plans and start getting your mind set on attending one of the other schools who accepted you. If, in time, you find out that you have the opportunity to attend the school that had previously put you on their wait list, then you can re-evaluate and decide if you still want to attend. The reality is that very few students actually end up being selected off the wait list for acceptance. (Once again, this is why it is so important to tell colleges as soon as possible when you know that you will not be attending in the future so that they can make plans to potentially accept other students off their wait list.)

In the mean time, if you decide that you want to remain on a college's waiting list, be sure to follow their directions (usually filling out a form indicating your desire) and then you can also consider sending them a letter updating them about any new achievements, awards, or other information that you have accomplished since your application to their college so that might be able to take that into consideration when making their waiting list decisions. (Some colleges may specifically say that they do or do not accept that supplemental evidence - follow their directions!)

If you are struggling with a wait-list decision, please remember that we are here to talk about it with you.

Your Life Challenges

I had lots of time to think over spring break. (Perhaps too much time...) And I kept coming back to thoughts about how so many of you are dealing with really hard things in your lives. The challenges may be big or small and the impact from them may last a day or a lifetime, but no matter what, each of you are facing your own unique battles. What makes this even harder is that on the outside, you appear "FINE." Perhaps you are fine most of the time, but that doesn't mean that there aren't moments that feel hard or more difficult. And, in spite of the fact that this is something nearly all of you are dealing with, I suspect that most of you feel like you are the only one going through such challenges.

So here are some of my reflections.

1. Be nice. Kinder than you think you need to be. To others and to YOURSELF! You are often your toughest critic and you deserve the same level of compassion that you are willing to extend to those around you.

2.  Seek support. We are here to help you and so are your teachers, your friends and, of course, your family. Asking for help and acknowledging that you are facing tough challenges in your world is the most courageous thing you can do. I promise, if you come to us, we will NOT see you as weak and will be thankful you had the strength to share what it is that you are facing in your life.

3.  There is no such thing as too small. If it is on your mind, if it is weighing on you, if it is frustrating or hurting or annoying to you -- then it matters! Do not belittle how you think or feel.

4.  Take it one step at a time. Part of the challenge of life and especially for teenagers today is that difficulties refuse to slow down and come one at a time. In fact, quite often life shifts from total calm to middle of a massive storm in just seconds. If your problems would line up and come one at a time, you'd be completely fine, but that isn't how life works. And so, while you may not be able to solve all of the problems in front of you in an instant, you will be able to make progress by taking it one step at a time. Be patient with yourself and if you can't solve the problem remember that there are hundreds of coping strategies that you can use to help manage until there is a solution.

5.  Try not to jump to conclusions or assume the worst. I feel guilty even saying this one because I definitely have jumped to the worst possible scenarios on many occasions, but here is the thing - it made me a nervous wreck as I waited for the news and it didn't have any actual impact on how it all played out. Try to remind yourself that the story you are telling yourself is just one possible story and remain open to the possibility that there are other reasons that something may be happening or outcomes which may result from this situation.

6.  Be real. Have the courage to allow yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling and to express those feelings and emotions. Laugh, cry, celebrate, or scream - whatever you feel, lean into those emotions (at least with some of the people closest to you who you can trust with the real you). It is ok to not be "fine" and it is ok to be far better than "fine" too. 

Please remember that whatever it is you are dealing with today in your life - significant problem or not - if you want the support and help or just a safe place to talk it through with someone then please remember that we are here!

Online Summer School

Every year we get questions about taking online courses or classes in other districts during the summers and as long as it is an accredited school this is completely fine. So, for example, if your parents are divorced and you go to spend the summer with a parent who lives in another state you can take your summer school class at the school near your other parent and then transfer the credit back to us. Or for those students who plan on traveling a great deal over the summer, taking an online course might be more in line with your needs. Again, in Worthington we try to be very flexible in helping all students meet their academic goals so, as long as the school you are taking classes from is an accredited school, we will transfer those credits to Worthington.

Students and parents often ask me which online schools they can use and again, if it is accredited it is fine. The school we have had the most students utilize in the past has been TRECA due to the cost effectiveness of their credits. But again, that can change from year to year and so I encourage you to search for the schools and programs that will best meet your individual needs. I do know that TRECA summer school registration has now opened for the year, so if you were planning to take a TRECA summer school class, please be sure to get signed up for that soon. Their website is: https://treca.org/programs/summer-school 

SAT Results

Juniors, your SAT scores from the March in-school testing day have been released. Hopefully you have already received an email directly from CollegeBoard to share this news. But you can now log into your CollegeBoard account to see your scores. 

I also have access to your scores, but I can just see the number whereas when you go into your CollegeBoard account it will give you a greater breakdown of how you did to help you determine where you might want to focus for future testing opportunities.

Remember, statistically speaking, students who repeat the tests perform better on them. So if you're not thrilled with your scores, you may want to go ahead and sign up now for an upcoming ACT or SAT test date. We saw issues last year where students had to drive to areas pretty far outside of central Ohio in order to be able to get a testing seat because they waited too long in order to register to test.

Common App Essays

The Common Application has announced that their essay question prompts for next year will remain the same. In case you don't know, Common Application is an application website that many colleges use allowing students to fill out one application that can then be submitted to various colleges and is one of the primary methods that students will utilize when applying to college. 

Juniors, you can take a look at these prompts and start brainstorming what your answers might be for each question. After you list your thoughts for each question, look at which response best allows you to tell the story of who you are and will be the best introduction of you to the admissions committee.  Then it is time to start drafting and editing and drafting some more.  :-)  

Students who utilize the common app will be asked to select and answer one question in 250-650 words. (Please don't worry about word count on your first draft - it is always MUCH easier to cut words than it is to try to add more in later.)

Below are the common app essay questions to help you get started: 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and new understanding of yourself or others.

6.  Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.  Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Also, don't forget that Wednesday morning (April 8th) we will host our Essay Brainstorming Workshop in Room 205 at 10am to help you prepare for writing your essays. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Schedule

How was your spring break? Are you ready to be back at school? We have a busy, unique week ahead which will be a challenge for some and a nice transition for others. Sophomores are going to be testing all week. Freshmen and juniors will likely have some days of testing and some days of sleeping in and seniors get to enjoy the mornings off for the week.

Ohio State End of Course Tests:

This week we will have late starts for the Ohio State required End of Course tests. We will be on a modified bell schedule where you have classes from 12:25-3:20. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday you will go to your 1st through 4th period classes. On Tuesday and Thursday you will go to 5th through 8th period classes.

On Monday and Tuesday, students will take the English 2 End of Course test which contains 2 parts. Part 1 will be completed on Monday and Part 2 will be taken on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, students will take the Biology End of Course test.

On Thursday, students will take the US History test.

On Friday, students will take both sections of the Algebra 1 or the Math 2 End of Course tests.

Here is a link to find the bell schedule for the week. Good luck to everyone who will be testing! And please, remember to bring your fully charged chromebook with you to school for testing!

If you are not testing, remember that buses will run 90 minutes later than normal. You will have some down time before lunch and then lunch will be offered from 11:30-12:20 for all students.

College Essay Workshop:

On Wednesday, we will be hosting the essay brainstorming workshop from 10-11:30am in Room 205 for juniors who are planning to apply to a 4-year college in the future.  Please be sure to sign up if you plan to attend.  The link has been included on the email that was sent to you and it is also on the Counselor Website and you can sign up there - www.wkhscounselors.com. We hope to see all juniors for this workshop!

Spring Break College Visits

No matter what grade you are in and what plans you have established for spring break, I'd like to encourage you to consider adding in at least one (if not more) college visits to your agenda.

For seniors, many colleges are in session during our break and so this is an ideal time to be able to visit the campuses of your top choices. Being able to compare your college choices and to make sure you are finding the school which will be your best fit before the May 1st decision deadline is helpful. You can also consider making an overnight visit at the colleges for a different opportunity that you have probably not had a chance to do thus far.

For freshmen through juniors, making college visits is a beneficial opportunity to start identifying what aspects you like most and least in a college. You will have the chance to actually walk around on a campus and imagine yourself being there in the future. People watch, explore opportunities, investigate academics, and engage with the admissions staff to help guide you in your future college application plans.  

If you are planning to be in town, there are lots of local colleges that you can visit easily. If you will be traveling over break, you can still make college visits wherever you find yourself during break. Chances are good that there are colleges near or along your destination and even if it is not a school that you are considering for the future, it still gives you the chance to get another view of colleges... and this can be incredibly valuable as you ultimately determine what you want or don't want in a school.